Mice might look cute in the pet shop, but they are not a good sign in your house. If you see one mouse, chances are good that there are more hiding in the walls, floors, or cabinets. Mice carry bacteria and viruses that can make you sick, and their chewing habits could cause major damage to your home. Prevent mice from getting into your homestead by following these tips.
Keep a Housecat
Cats hunt by instinct. Keeping a cat in your house is a good way to dispatch a mouse before it has a chance to nest and have babies. Consider adopting an adult cat from a shelter. Adult cats will have good hunting skills. Mother cats may also be a good choice because they teach their kittens how to hunt. However, make sure that your cat is spayed or neutered so that it can fully focus on hunting mice. This is also a good way to prevent accidental kittens from happening.
Keep Your Home Clean and in Good Repair
House mice like to nest in dark and secluded areas. Do a thorough walkthrough of your home's interior spaces each week in order to check for possible entry points for pests. Promptly repair gaps and cracks with caulk, steel wool, or other appropriate fillers. Open all the drawers and cabinets to look for nests. House mice like to nest in dark and secluded areas, building their nests in paper products, clutter, insulation, and fabrics. Avoid piling up papers, boxes, or clothes on the floor. Clean up food messes as soon as they happen. Sweep, mop, or vacuum the floors each night in order to remove food crumbs.
Maintain Your Home's Exterior
Once a month, be sure to check the entire exterior perimeter of your home. Look for holes, gaps, or cracks in caulk, siding, concrete, wood, flashing, and other materials. Seal those gaps in order to stop mice from getting inside. Keep foliage and dead plants away from your home's foundation. Avoid putting your wood pile next to your house. Instead, keep the wood for your wood stove or fireplace at least 20 feet away from your house. Clear away debris such as old tires, rubbish, burn piles, and old vehicles, as these are all places that provide shelter to mice. When the weather cools down, the family of mice living in the decades-old truck will try to seek warmth in your house.
Keeping a tidy home inside and out reduces your risk of a mouse infestation. Your vigilance will pay off by preventing pests and identifying any problems as quickly as possible. Each of these tips gives you an action plan for year-round mouse-proofing.